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Sunday, February 09, 2014

The Episcopal Church: Abortion & Contraception

I was recently asked a simple enough question: Where does The Episcopal Church stand on Reproductive Justice issues such as contraception and abortion?

The answer is very simple and yet not easily expressed.

I think that's because our discussions on this issue have been emotionally charged and filled with hyperbole, exaggeration, inaccuracies and, well, drama.

If one is "pro-life," one is, therefore, "anti-abortion" and, necessarily "bad" for limiting a woman's choice but "good" for "protecting the un-born or pre-born" but "bad" for not making provisions to care for the life of the child after it is born.

If one is "pro-choice" one is, therefore, "pro-abortion" and, necessarily "bad" for "murdering babies" but "good" for "respecting the sacred right of a woman to be her own moral agent" but "bad" for "not respecting the 'personhood' of the fetus".

It's all black and white with no shades of gray and heavily sprinkled with double doses of drama.

That's a difficult position on a good day for The Episcopal Church, which is a faithful pilgrim on the 'via media' or 'middle road' of classic, traditional Anglicanism.

While it may sound like a batch of classical Anglican Fudge, if you read
our official resolutions on the matter, it is fair to say that The
Episcopal Church
seeks to promote the sacredness of human life - all human life - including that of the woman and the children for whom she is responsible.

The bottom line is that The Episcopal Church has voted in strong
opposition to any abridgment to a woman's access to a safe means of
terminating pregnancy.

That means that The Episcopal Church wants the means of legal
abortion to continue while working to address conditions - such as poverty, inadequate education, unemployment, etc., as well as access to information about human reproduction including effective, affordable contraception methods, devices and medicines - which would
make abortions a less frequent occurrence.

Though the fact that The
Episcopal Church is regularly identified as being pro-choice is
accurate, it would be a misstatement to suggest that TEC is "in favor of
abortions" or "promoting abortion."

Which means, we're not so different from most Americans.

A recent article in Atlantic magazine maintains that public opinion about abortion is remarkably stable. "Since the
1970s, we have seen considerable changes in attitudes towards gay
marriage and marijuana legalization but not in opinions about abortion."

"Take a question that Gallup has asked more than 50 times since 1975:
Should abortion be legal in certain circumstances? That year, 54 percent
said yes. When CNN’s pollsters asked the same question in May 2013, 54
percent gave that response, with 20 to 25 percent at the extremes."

To my knowledge, no poll has ever been done specifically asking these question of those who are
baptized members in good standing or are ordained to lead a congregation, much less simply sit in the pews of The
Episcopal Church of a Sunday morning.

My sense, however, is that Episcopalians are like most Americans - we hold two differing opinions
simultaneously in tension with each other, and our official position, as stated in resolutions passed by our General Convention, reflect that tension.

Two major pollsters that ask people whether they are pro-choice or
pro-life show narrow divisions on the question. Gallup’s May 2013 poll
showed that 45 percent called themselves pro-choice and 48 percent
pro-life. In Fox News' April 2013 poll of registered voters, 49 percent
called themselves pro-choice and 44 percent pro-life.

If you want to know what The Episcopal Church, in General Convention, has said about Reproductive Rights like contraception and abortion, you'd have to dig through the Archives of The Episcopal Church to discover that answer.

You can find resolutions which have been passed by General Convention here .

Of course, there is the curiously worded Resolution 115 by the 1958 Lambeth Conference which essentially reaffirmed Aquinas's appeal to conscience in terms of husband and wife's decision about the size of their family.

Neither were exactly ringing endorsements of contraception, and there's lots high church language, but the approval is clear.

The 1994 General Convention reaffirmed this position, which appeared under a primary concern "that rapid global population growth adversely affects the prospects
for peace and justice by exacerbating poverty, deprivation and
suffering, and depleting environmental resources . . ."

I don't have links to the following facts because the Episcopal Church didn't begin making resolutions available online until the early 90s. However, in looking through some old convention journals, I discovered that The Episcopal Church at its 1964 General Convention
stated, "The Church continues (from a resolution in 1958) to condemn non-therapeutic abortions...."

However, three years later, at the very next General Convention in 1967, we approved abortions where "the physical or mental
health of the mother is threatened seriously," and in cases where the child would be
born with disability or was conceived in rape.

In 1976, the Episcopal General Convention
reaffirmed this statement and went further. It expressed "unequivocal opposition to
any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or
deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions in this matter and to act upon
them." We did so again in 1982. In 1985, we passed resolution A085 which also reaffirmed our position and asked

That
this 68th General Convention request the several dioceses to initiate
studies to consider the pastoral, personal, sociological and theological
implications of abortion. We suggest appointing appropriately
representative diocesan commissions to oversee a process of study which
includes those local congregations willing to be involved. We commend to
all a study of the official position of this Church as expressed in the
resolutions on abortion adopted by the General Conventions of 1976,
1979 and 1982. We suggest to all a study of the paper of the House of
Bishops Committee on Theology: "Theological Reflection Paper on
Abortion." Finally we direct the Standing Commission on Human Affairs
and Health to receive all information arising from these diocesan
studies.

In 1997, we did not reject but rather expressed "grave concern" about third trimester abortions, except in "extreme circumstances".

In 2000, we passed a resolution which, interestingly enough, commended the work done by a Commission on End of Life Issues and asked for a similar study be done on Beginning of Life issues, such as - and I quote - "babies born alive during induced abortions".

I have not found evidence of the existence of that study, much less that a commission was convened. I have serious doubt that either entity ever saw the light of day.

In 2000, we also acknowledged the existence, for men and women, of something called "post abortion stress"and asked for pastoral care for all who suffer from it.

I think we've come to know that, while some are certainly stressed after the termination of a pregnancy, either through abortion or miscarriage, there is no official medical condition known as "post-abortion stress" and I do not know of any official action regarding this issue from The Episcopal Church.

Officially, we can hardly be described as "pro abortion". However, it can be said that we are unequivocally "pro choice" - in a very traditionally nuanced Anglican sort of way.

Let's take a closer look at our "official" position on Abortion which can be found most succinctly stated in Resolution 1994-A054. Allow me to lift up some of the language to show you what I mean:

All human life is sacred from its inception until death.

As Christians we also affirm responsible family planning.

We regard all abortion as having a tragic dimension, calling for the concern and compassion of all the Christian community.

While we acknowledge that in this country it is the legal right of
every woman to have a medically safe abortion, as Christians we believe
strongly that if this right is exercised, it should be used only in
extreme situations. We emphatically oppose abortion as a means of birth
control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason of mere
convenience.

In those cases where an abortion is being considered, members of this
Church are urged to seek the dictates of their conscience in prayer, to
seek the advice and counsel of members of the Christian community and
where appropriate, the sacramental life of this Church.

Whenever members of this Church are consulted with regard to a
problem pregnancy, they are to explore, with grave seriousness, with the
person or persons seeking advice and counsel, as alternatives to
abortion, other positive courses of action, including, but not limited
to, the following possibilities: the parents raising the child; another
family member raising the child; making the child available for
adoption.

We believe that legislation concerning abortions will not address the
root of the problem. We therefore express our deep conviction that any
proposed legislation on the part of national or state governments
regarding abortions must take special care to see that the individual
conscience is respected, and that the responsibility of individuals to
reach informed decisions in this matter is acknowledged and honored as
the position of this Church;

Resolved, That this 71st General
Convention of the Episcopal Church express its unequivocal opposition to
any legislative, executive or judicial action on the part of local,
state or national governments that abridges the right of a woman to
reach an informed decision about the termination of pregnancy or that
would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her
decision.

Now, I may quibble about the phrase about human life ". . . from inception . . .", and some have taken exception to "the tragic dimension" of abortion or that it should be utilized only in "extreme situations", but there's no arguing with the "unequivocal opposition" to anything that "abridges the right of a woman" or "limit(s) the access of a woman to a safe means of acting on HER decision.

We are pro-choice but that doesn't make us pro abortion.

You can not possibly make the claim that "The Episcopal Church promotes abortion" - unless, of course, your penchant or preference is to consistently utilize hyperbole or exaggeration or drama as your primary rhetorical device.

Indeed, I think the position of The Episcopal Church makes us decidedly pro-life in the sense that we hold ALL life sacred - including the lives of women - as well as those unwanted pregnancies which lead to the birth and the life of a child who has basic human rights to shelter, food, clothing, access to adequate medical care and, oh yes, love.

The issue of reproductive justice in general and abortion in particular will continue to be pushed into national conversation by special interest groups, most of which are religiously-based.

I predict that, ultimately, we will see the same result from this issue as we have with issues of marriage equality. All the hyperbole and drama and appeals to scripture as the only rationale for undermining abortion or reversing Roe v Wade will begin to fall, more and more, on deaf ears.

At the end of the day, I do believe that the position of The Episcopal Church is reflective of and articulates the position of the majority of Americans:

+ Keep abortion safe and legal, accessible and affordable while we continue to work on conditions that would make abortion a less frequent occurrence.

+ Contraception is an integral part of normal, preventative health care for women which should be affordable, accessible and covered under her health insurance plan.

+ Respect for the sacredness of all life - from womb to tomb - including the life of a woman to be her own moral agent and make the decisions that are right for her and her family, as well as respect for every child to have the basic human rights of food, clothing, shelter and love.

10 comments:

I am very interested in the intersection of church and politics. I am curious - does the Episcopal Church take a position on other issues? Global warming or fracking, for example? And how is it decided which issues the church will take a position on?

Hi, 8th Day - You know, I can't think of another issue that TEC hasn't had a resolution. Resolutions can be submitted from a variety of sources - bishops, deputies, provinces, dioceses, committees, commissions, agencies and boards, etc.If any of those groups feel passionate about something, they submit a resolution to General Convention where it is assigned to a committee which then holds hearings - just like the process in Congress. General Convention then votes on it and it becomes our 'position'.

Again, you'd have to check TEC's archives and pour over the resolutions there to see where we stand on any one given issue.

I also understand that this is a good resource: Social Teachings of TEC.

I'm not sure how to reconcile the "tragic element" language with what Dean Ragsdale has said of abortion sometimes being a blessing -- though maybe a blessing is not inconsistent with a tragic element I just don't know. Then again, one need not agree with all resolutions of TEC (I certainly don't agree with some) but I sometimes find myself wondering if I agree with the resolutions or not and whether I think sometimes abortion is a blessing and whether I can square that view with the resolutions or not. I find that I can describe what I believe. I find that I often cannot determine if what I believe is consistent with the resolutions or not. Perhaps that's typical?

I have seen that for some women, abortion is a great tragedy; for others it is a great blessing. Either way, it is not my decision to mourn or celebrate. It is only for me to support and continue to love.

Thank you for the response and the link. And wow, you were right - I started googling "TEC's position on _____" and every issue I could think of came back with multiple links. The only issue I tried that didn't have a position was TEC's position on which way the toilet paper should be hung : )

I do wonder, as many churches become more and more involved in political issues, when do they cross the line into being political actions committees? It is becoming very blurry out there.

My comment goes more toward the parameters of the Johnson Amendment becoming blurry. As progressive churches push harder against conservatives, and fundamentalist churches push against liberals, I wonder how long it will be before those in power start looking to punish churches by calling them “too political” and taxing their vast resources. It has huge untapped revenue potential. (I believe this is already starting to happen with pastor’s housing allowances becoming taxable for the first time) And as more and more people identify as “none” I think those folks will also start pressuring for a more equitable distribution of the tax burden. Churches becoming overtly political may just be the leverage they need to accomplish that.

Mother Elizabeth, I would love to hear your comments on whether I should stay in TEC, in a diocese where the Bishop is seemingly homophobic and has prohibited his Priests from same-sex marriages or even blessing those unions. Although it is his right to prohibit in his diocese, it is also my right to not continue giving my time, talent and treasure to this diocese. Now, I must emphasize that the congregation is very warm, loving and accepting to me and my partner. We are leaving the Church after July 12, 2015, when the Convention results are discussed with the congregation. We are not dividers, troublemakers or care to cause consternation in the congregation. There are other churches in our area where LBGT's are welcome and will perform the marriage and blessing of union. I might add, they are not Episcopal.

Thank you for your sage advice. Many Blessings and Favor of God on you, Anonymous...for apparent reasons.

Hello and thank you for entrusting me with your question. First up, your bishop sounds decidedly homophobic and heterocentric. That is never a healthy combination for any one, LGBT or straight. So, while it deeply pains me to say this, I do support your leaving TEC. When you do, and not to make trouble or consternation in the congregation, it is vitally important for you to share your reasons with the good people there and, especially the rector.

And, when your heart has started to mend from having been broken with disappointment, write to the bishop and tell him. He needs to know. He needs to understand that his actions have consequences and that you and your beloved are two of them.

Bottom line: It's Jesus we follow, not any one particular church. Follow Jesus right out the door of that church and into another where you will be welcome and have the covenant you make with your beloved blessed and honored and cherished.

I'm so sorry to lose you but I rejoice for your faithfulness in Jesus, the journey you are about to take, and the contributions you will continue to make in His name.

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The opinions expressed in this Blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Episcopal Church or any of the Episcopal Churches I serve, the Dioceses of Newark or Delaware, or those of any local, national or other organizations I serve. If you wish to reproduce anything written here or link to another site, you may only do so with the express permission of the author, and only with appropriate attribution.

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About Me

I am a joyful Christian who claims the fullness of the Anglican tradition of being evangelical, Anglo-Catholic, charismatic, orthodox and radical. Since 1991, my canonical residence has been the Diocese of Newark, where I was a member of the Women's Commission (since 1993), the Department of Missions (2 terms), The Commission on Ministry (1 term), The Standing Committee (4 years, one as President). I served as an elected Deputy to General Convention in 2000, 2003, and 2006. I have served as a board member of Integrity, USA, and as a founding member of Claiming The Blessing. I am national Convener of The Episcopal Women's Caucus, and am now member of the national board of RCRC. I attended the Lambeth Conference in 1998 and 2008 representing EWC. I graduated in May 2008 from Drew with my doctorate in Pastoral Care and Counseling and was Proctor Fellow at EDS, Spring Semester 2011. I am a GOE reader. I consult and counsel at Canterbury Pastoral Care Center in Harbeson, DE.

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